Retrospective facial recognition

Caroline Russell: The recent DMPC Decision – PCD 1008 approves a contract for Retrospective Facial Recognition (RFR) for the next four years. How does the approval of this contract match with your An Emerging Technology Charter for London you launched recently?

The Mayor: The Emerging Technology Charter (ETC) was launched in September 2021, during London Tech Week, after the decision to provide funding of RFR was approved. The Chief Digital Officer for London (CDO) liaised with the MPS ahead of the publication of the ETC to ensure that they were aware of the Charter’s principles of transparency, equality, trustworthiness and sustainability. Now the Charter has been officially launched, City Hall, via the CDO, intends to work closely with partners, including the MPS, to assist in its application to new and emerging technology.

NHS ULEZ Exemptions

Emma Best: Will you look at extending and simplifying NHS exemptions for emergency healthcare facilities in the expanded ULEZ area, where in some instances there are simply no direct public transport connections?

The Mayor: Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to health in London. NHS staff will recognise its effects in their work with patients and the community. Based on the success of the central Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and other actions I’ve taken, I am confident expanding the ULEZ will help deliver wider benefits for London, including saving the NHS around £5 billion and preventing over one million air quality-related hospital admissions over the next 30 years.
Hospitals within the expanded zone are highly accessible by public transport. In addition, 87 per cent of vehicles operating in the expanded zone are already compliant with the new ULEZ standards meaning the vast majority of patients will not need to pay the charge. The NHS patient reimbursement scheme is also available for eligible patients.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) (2)

Hina Bokhari: Where councils choose to not act to mitigate against flood risk, is TfL taking any steps to manage highway space to deliver flood mitigation with SuDS schemes?

The Mayor: I and Transport for London (TfL) recognise the importance of making London more permeable by using SuDS to reduce surface water flood risk and the importance of highways schemes in contributing to this. My Transport Strategy includes a commitment to SuDS delivery across London’s highways – both borough and TfL. The most cost-effective method for SuDS installation is as part of existing projects or major maintenance activities, as outlined in the London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan.
TfL routinely considers opportunities for including SuDS as part of highway schemes. For example, SuDS are being included in the form of rain gardens and permeable paving at Old Street roundabout. They are also built into the design of projects at Edgware Road and Tolworth.

Inadequate Fire Safety Measures and Damaged Fire Doors (2)

Hina Bokhari: Will you be working with the London Fire Brigade and others to ensure you act against all landlords in London who ignore fire safety advice and regulations and put the lives of their tenants at risk?

The Mayor: Both London Fire Brigade (LFB) and local authorities regularly take enforcement action against landlords who place the lives of their tenants at risk. That can include prohibiting or restricting the use of premises, as well as prosecution of the landlord in the most serious cases. For example, a recent case bought by LFB resulted in suspended custodial sentences and significant fines handed down together with recovery of costs.
In addition, successful prosecutions are publicised and reported in order to raise awareness and deter other landlords who might seek to avoid their fire safety responsibilities.

New Modelling for London’s Red Routes and the Expanded ULEZ (2)

Leonie Cooper: How will the modelling be used to inform further improvements?

The Mayor: The modelling and evaluation of the Red Routes will provide an updated understanding of how emissions from road transport have reduced and are forecast to change including the relative contributions of different vehicle types. This information combined with emissions from other sources across London and from wider afield will be used to update Transport for London’s (TfL) understanding of expected changes in future air quality on Red Routes. The work will help identify specific areas where air quality remains a concern so that TfL can identify options to further improve air quality.

New Modelling for London’s Red Routes and the Expanded ULEZ (1)

Leonie Cooper: In response to questions 2021/1718 and 2021/1714 you stated that updated modelling of some areas was due later this year. Can you please update on when this modelling will be completed?

The Mayor: The modelling of future air quality in London is being undertaken as part of the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory update. LAEI 2016 is the latest version of the inventory and officers are currently working to update it for 2019. This has been further delayed due to the need to account for uncertainties relating to travel demand in the post COVID-19 era and is now expected to be completed by the end of the year.
A number of factors have increased the complexity of this modelling, meaning it is taking longer to produce than originally expected. These factors include new transport patterns as a result of the pandemic, a cleaner than expected van fleet, rapid growth in electric vehicle uptake and the introduction of on-street changes to encourage walking and cycling.

Making the LFB’s Vehicle Fleet Zero-Emission

Hina Bokhari: Please outline the timetable for making the LFB’s vehicle fleet reach zero emissions.

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) continues to make progress towards delivering a zero-emission fleet. The Brigade already has a fleet of 54 electric hybrid vehicles and has installed electric vehicle charging points at most of its fire stations.
In 2022, LFB will be replacing the hybrid officer pool cars with fully electric solutions and will also launch the UK’s first electric hybrid fire engine. The next wave of van replacements is scheduled between the financial years of 2025/26 -2027/28.
The timeline to replace LFB’s heavy appliances is to be determined but it is anticipated that this will begin within the next five years. LFB is working closely with the GLA on its strategic approach and allocation of resources to deliver a zero-emission fleet as quickly and efficiently as possible to help achieve the ambition of a Zero Carbon City.

Proposed development by the City of London Corporation on Land at Sydenham Hill Estate, Sydenham Hill

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to the correspondence released in answer to the Freedom of Information request MGLA240820-196 are you satisfied that the guidelines on inclusivity and consultation set out in your Good Practice Guide for Estate Regeneration were fully followed before the awarding of a GLA grant of £6.5 million for the proposed development by the City of London Corporation?

The Mayor: My officers are working closely with the City of London to ensure delivery of their affordable housing programme and I encourage all Investment Partners to follow the Good Practice Guide for Estate Regeneration. This scheme will deliver over 100 homes for social rent which will provide an affordable and secure home to hundreds of people on the housing waiting list, including many homeless families trapped in often overcrowded temporary accommodation. However, I am aware that local residents have launched a Judicial Review of the scheme and I am therefore eagerly awaiting the response of this.

LFB Performance Targets (8)

Anne Clarke: The LFB Corporate Performance Digest - Q1 2021/22 has no targets relating to the percentage of the workforce that are a) women; b) BAME; c) disabled; d) LGBTQI+. Can you explain why no targets currently exist and what plans, if any, you have for introducing targets?

The Mayor: As part of the report on additional corporate indicators approved by the Governance, Performance and Audit Committee in September 2017, it was agreed that in supporting the London Safety Plan, action (defined as context measures) should be taken rather than having set targets on areas the Brigade wanted to approve. London Fire Brigade is committed to continuing to improve the diversity of its workforce at all levels as set out in the Togetherness Strategy and will be reviewing its diversity targets as part of the development of the Community Risk Management Plan which will replace the existing London Safety Plan

Demographic breakdown of transport worker deaths from coronavirus (2)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2020/1663. Could you share the latest breakdown by ethnicity, age, occupation and gender of transport workers in London who have sadly died from coronavirus?

The Mayor: Sadly, as of 9 November 2021, a total of 102 colleagues from Transport for London and its partner organisations have passed away in service due to Covid-19 related illness. Every death in service is one too many and demonstrates the heroic work our frontline transport workers are doing every day to keep London moving.
The spreadsheet attached (“Coronavirus deaths in service”) provides the requested information in relation to those staff who have sadly died with Covid-19.

The Mayor: Copy of 4421 - Coronavirus deaths in service (002).xlsx

The Met’s Estate Strategy

Caroline Pidgeon: Why has the Met still not published a revised estates strategy and when will it finally be published?

The Mayor: Due to the complexity of ensuring that operational, financial, geographical and estate implications are fully taken into account the Met are carrying out further work on the strategy before finalising the proposals. The strategy will be published in due course. In the meantime MOPAC has approved the disposal of a number of sites which the Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed are not required under any of their models for the estate to meet officer growth requirements. Stakeholders have been informed of the approval of these disposals.

Ensuring any future Covid Inquiry will cover Devolved Administrations and full Chain-of-Care

Keith Prince: Will you support non-partisan calls for any future Covid-19 enquiry to cover devolved administrations and the full chain of care for those in vulnerable roles, from central government, through devolved administrations, councils, TfL and employers?

The Mayor: I have been calling for a national public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic since May 2020. A national public inquiry into the handling of Covid-19 is essential if those who have lost friends and relatives in the pandemic are to get the answers they deserve and if the country, including London, is to develop its resilience to future emergencies.Any national enquiry should look at the handling of the pandemic in all regions, including London. It should look at the impact on all vulnerable Londoners, including those in front line services, and the disproportionate impact of COVID in particular on London’s BAME communities.

E-scooter battery fires

Nicholas Rogers: Could the Mayor advise how many e-scooter battery fires have been attended by LFB since May 2016? Please break down by year and borough. Please also outline the training fire fighters receive on dealing with e-scooter battery fires.

The Mayor: Between May 2016 to November 2021 London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded 34 fires attended involving e-scooters which are shown by year and borough in the table. This data is based on a ‘free text’ search of incident records, so there may be some other fires where an e-scooter battery is not mentioned but could be battery related. Data capture has been improved recently to enable crews to specifically record e-scooter fires so it will be possible to provide more accurate data going forward.
LFB firefighters are subject to a maintenance training programme which is conducted at the fire station on each shift that they are on duty. This programme is known as Development and Maintenance of Operational Professionalism (DaMOP) and is broken down into a number of competency areas. For maintenance training on “Hazardous Materials” (HAZMAT) firefighters complete nine theory sessions, which includes a component on understanding the risks of lithium-ion battery technology. The training video is partly funded by LFB in collaboration with other partners including Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). While the training is not specific to e-scooters, it explains the hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries which is what presents the specific fire risk with e-scooters.
Borough
2016 (from May)
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
			(to November)
Total
BARKING AND DAGENHAM
1
1
BARNET
1
1
BEXLEY
1
1
BROMLEY
1
1
2
CAMDEN
1
1
CROYDON
1
1
EALING
1
1
ENFIELD
1
1
GREENWICH
2
1
3
HACKNEY
1
1
HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM
1
1
1
3
HAVERING
1
1
LAMBETH
1
1
2
LEWISHAM
1
1
4
6
MERTON
1
1
2
SOUTHWARK
4
4
TOWER HAMLETS
1
1
WALTHAM FOREST
1
1
WESTMINSTER
1
1
Total
4
1
0
2
9
18
34

Crimestoppers integrity line investigations (1)

Unmesh Desai: In each of the last 4 years, how many investigations were launched in the Met due to whistleblowing through the Police Integrity line? How many of these resulted in disciplinary action being taken?

The Mayor: Written response from the Mayor
The table below shows the number of calls and online reports to the Crimestoppers Integrity line for police employees.
Integrity Line
Integrity Line OnLine
Apr 17 – Mar 18
194*
N/A
Apr 18 – Mar 19
123*
N/A
Apr 19 – Mar 20
42
118
Apr 20 – Mar 21
2
220
*The Integrity Line and Integrity Line OnLine were not counted separately for the years Apr 17 – Mar 18 or Apr 18 – Mar 19 and therefore they are combined in the figures for Integrity Line.
The MPS is unable to confirm how many of these reports led to misconduct investigations as this is complex to identify. Each contact is reviewed and developed as appropriate; however, the information often adds to an overall picture of intelligence rather than a single contact leading to a misconduct finding. For example, a contact call may be received relating to an individual who is already under investigation.

Crimestoppers integrity line investigations (2)

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a breakdown by volume of the type of investigations launched within the Met due to reports to the Police Integrity Line in each of the last 4 years, and how many of these investigations resulted in disciplinary action being taken

The Mayor: The tables below show the breakdown of calls and online reports to the Crimestoppers Integrity Line broken down by HMIC category according to the type of information provided by the contact. This data is only available from the last two years.
April 2019 - March 2020
Integrity Line
Integrity Line OnLine
Disclosure of Information
1
Perverting the Course of Justice
Sexual Misconduct
4
Controlled drugs use & supply
6
3
Theft & Fraud
3
7
Misuse of Force Systems
Exploitation of the Privilege of office
Inappropriate associations
Vulnerability
Other Criminal Behaviour
1
2
Other Corrupt Activity
Total
10
17
April 2020 - March 2021
Integrity Line
Integrity Line OnLine
Disclosure of Information
1
4
Perverting the Course of Justice
Sexual Misconduct
6
Controlled drugs use & supply
15
Theft & Fraud
1
8
Misuse of Force Systems
5
Exploitation of the Privilege of office
1
Inappropriate associations
Vulnerability
3
Other Criminal Behaviour
11
Other Corrupt Activity
1
Total
2
54
The data above provides a breakdown of those calls where the information or intelligence could be classified according to the HMIC Counter Corruption categories.
There are a large number of calls where the information or intelligence does not fit into any of these categories, however it is still reviewed and action taken where possible and appropriate.
As explained in the answer to MQ4655 it is not possible to confirm how many reports led to misconduct investigations.

Confidence in the MPS

Neil Garratt: What are the Metropolitan Police Service and MOPAC doing to increase confidence and trust in the MPS?

The Mayor: Keeping the city safe relies on strong relationships between the police and all of London’s communities. It is clear that events over the past year have affected Londoners’ trust in the police. That is why I have made improving trust and confidence a key priority in my draft Police and Crime Plan. I have also ensured that trust and confidence in the Met Police is a standing item on the MOPAC Oversight Board chaired by my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.
In November 2020 I published my Action Plan for Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing to address community concerns about disproportionality in the use of certain police powers affecting Black Londoners.
Real progress has been made in this first year of delivery. I have commissioned research into the effectiveness of cannabis enforcement in tackling violence and a review of community engagement and scrutiny functions to ensure Londoners voices are heard.
I have made £1.2m available to the Metropolitan Police Service over 3 years to support the progression and promotion of Black officers and a further £700,000 to invest in community-led training to ensure that new recruits understand the local communities they serve. Full quarterly updates on the action place are published by MOPAC and can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/mopac-publications/action-plan-transparency-accountability-and-trust-policing
There is still more to do and I welcome Baroness Casey’s independent review into MPS culture and standards, which will address the issues of misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia, and scrutinise police processes and standards of behaviour amongst officers and staff. In addition, I welcome the Metropolitan Police Service’s recent Action Plan to rebuild trust following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer.

Met internal whistleblowing hotline (1)

Unmesh Desai: How many calls to the Met’s internal whilstleblowing hotline were made in each of the last 4 years? Please advise how many of these calls led to misconduct investigations and how many resulted in officers receiving disciplinary action as a result.

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of calls and online reports to the Met’s internal Right Line system.
Right Line
Right Line OnLine
Apr 17 – Mar 18
16
367
Apr 18 – Mar 19
23
359
Apr 19 – Mar 20
48
312
Apr 20 – Mar 21
49
247
The MPS is unable to confirm how many of these reports led to misconduct investigations as this is complex to identify. Each contact is reviewed and developed as appropriate; however, the information often adds to an overall picture of intelligence rather than a single contact leading to a misconduct finding.
For example, a contact call may be received relating to an individual who is already under investigation.

ULEZ Exemption for Townmead Road Recycling Centre

Nicholas Rogers: Townmead Road Recycling Centre in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames lies just within the expanded ULEZ boundary. However the road layout is such that is essentially on a cul-de-sac and therefore could not be used as a ‘rat run’ to evade the ULEZ. Will the Mayor consider exempting Townmead Road Recycling Centre from the expanded ULEZ?

The Mayor: The expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was consulted on in 2017 and confirmed in 2018 to ensure a long notice period to allow people time to prepare. Therefore it is not appropriate to change the boundary now. The Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre will remain within the expanded ULEZ boundary.
Townmead Road is one of several waste and recycling centres within the zone, including some which are a small distance inside the North and South Circular Roads. It is important to maintain a clear, consistent and understandable boundary for the public and creating small deviations at these points would only serve to cause confusion. Changing the boundary or exempting journeys to some or all of these locations would also undermine the air quality and related health benefits of the ULEZ. Access to these amenities is not restricted, and Londoners can use a compliant vehicle or walk or cycle to avoid paying the daily charge.
Already, 92 per cent of vehicles seen travelling in the expanded zone meet the standards, meaning most people looking to use such facilities will not need to pay the charge.

Waking Watches and London’s Boroughs

Anne Clarke: Please provide a borough-by-borough breakdown of the number of buildings operating waking watches in London. Please also breakdown the numbers for buildings over 18m and under 18m in each borough.

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) collects data for buildings with a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place. This includes, but is not limited to, waking watches, which the National Fire Chiefs Council guidance defines as a system where ‘suitably trained persons continually patrol all floors and the exterior perimeter of the building in order to detect a fire, raise the alarm, and carry out the role of evacuation management’.Residential buildings with an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy in place could have personnel on site or a remote monitoring system, but this is determined by the Responsible Person with guidancefroma competent fire safety professional.
The figures can changeon a daily basiswhen interim measures are required, or a building is remediated and no longer requires the interim measures. The number of buildings where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place, asof12 November 2021, are presented by borough and by height in the table below.

Supporting the London Ambulance Service this Winter

Onkar Sahota: Have the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police now stepped-up conversations with the London Ambulance Service about how they could support paramedics in a crisis this winter?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police has been working with its Blue Light partners very closely through the course of the Covid Pandemic. This is something that has been constantly reviewed and the Metropolitan Police has provided a number of officers to assist the London Ambulance Service over the last year. This is something that had to be balanced very carefully with the actual demands on the Metropolitan Police. The joint working processes will continue and any requests from the London Ambulance Service will be reviewed by the Metropolitan Police carefully taking into account the current demands faced by the organisation.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) is currently exploring a range of options to support the London Ambulance Service over the winter period. To date, this support has been facilitated through the secondment of firefighters to the LAS. LFB is now looking at options that will enable the Brigade to provide ongoing support and resilience to the LAS whilst minimising the impact on its own response.

Cancellation of Tube trains to Chesham (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: During the month of October how many scheduled trains leaving or arriving at Chesham London Underground station were cancelled?

The Mayor: Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide this data. When a train is cancelled or withdrawn, Transport for London (TfL) only records where it was located when it was withdrawn or cancelled, for example in the depot.The recorded information does not specify if it was a Chesham train or not. Similarly, when TfL records disruption on the network, it records where the disruption occurred, as opposed to the locations that may have been affected as a consequence.
TfL had hoped to use data from the signalling system to provide you with arrivals and departures data, but unfortunately the data feed for Chesham is unreliable and this has not been possible. TfL hope to resolve this problem in the future when the signalling is upgraded.

Research on the impact of TfL moving to cashless stations

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you ensure that the research commissioned and funded by TfL that was undertaken by the research group 2CV on the impact of TfL moving to cashless stations is made publicly available?

The Mayor: A summary of this research can be found on Transport for London’s (TfL’s) website here:
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/fares-and-ticketing
TfL has already shared this research with stakeholders that it has been engaging with on this issue.
As you know, in April 2020, TfL removed the cash option from ticket machines at around 70 per cent of stations on the London Underground as part of its work to protect staff and customers from coronavirus. From June 2021, cash acceptance was reinstated at locations where it had been removed due to the pandemic.

Inadequate Fire Safety Measures and Damaged Fire Doors (1)

Hina Bokhari: What plans are you developing to tackle and reduce the risks posed by inadequate fire safety measures and damaged fire doors in private rented properties and social housing in London?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has an active fire safety audit and inspection process in place to assess the adequacy of fire safety measures. The impending implementation of the Fire Safety Act will support this by ensuring that LFB’s enforcement powers clearly extend to flat front doors, balconies, external wall systems and building structure. Additionally, LFB is rolling out station-based training so that all firefighters will soon be trained to carry out audits focusing on fire safety measures within buildings. This will increase opportunities to identify fire safety issues in properties considered ‘lower risk’, such as low-rise blocks of flats.

Reducing tube dust (1)

Zack Polanski: What lessons learned from the intensive cleaning programme for tackling coronavirus risks on the underground network could you also apply to reducing tube dust?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) introduced enhanced cleaning measures in response to the pandemic, including using hospital-grade cleaning substances, more than 1,000 hand sanitiser points, and 200 UV light devices on escalators handrails. This has been extremely effective, sampling by Imperial College London continues to find zero trace ofcoronavirus.
TfL will continue to look for relevant learnings from its coronavirus cleaning programme. However, there are differences between the coronavirus and Tube dust. Coronavirus cleaning is primarily antiviral surface cleaning in customer areas. Tube dust cleaning is largely focused in areas where customers do not have access and dust is able to settle.
Managing dust on the London Underground remains a priority. TfL is building on the learnings from trials of cleaning methods, including industrial back-pack vacuum cleaners, specialist equipment that catches dust as it is produced during construction, and the use of more battery-operated tools to reduce fumes.

Retrospective Facial Recognition Technology

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you believe that the Met’s purchase of a contract for retrospective facial recognition technology at a cost of up to £3,084,000 is the best use of public money when the legality of such systems remain in question and there is an ongoing debate on how to regulate facial recognition systems in the UK?

The Mayor: RFR is not a new policing capability and benefits from a resilient legal framework provided by the Section 64A (4)(a) Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the Common Law, together with the Human Rights Act 1998, Data Protection Act 2018 and the Equality Act.
RFR has the potential to make communities safer by helping the MPS target violent and other serious offences by identifying those responsible for knife and gun crime, child sexual exploitation and terrorism. RFR reduces the time taken to identify offenders and supports the delivery of improved criminal justice outcomes. As well as assisting in preventing and detecting crime, RFR searching could also be used to help in the identification of missing or deceased persons. I am assured that the MPS procurement process provided an adequate cost-benefit analysis.

The Competency of Fire Risk Assessors and Fire Door Installers in London

Hina Bokhari: What measures are you taking to enhance the competency of all Fire Risk Assessors and Fire Door Installers in London?

The Mayor: Testing the adequacy of the work of fire risk assessors and fire door installers forms part of the work of the London Fire Brigade’s (LFB’s) enforcement activity and in future will feature in the work of the Building Safety Regulator. LFB provides advice to Responsible Persons on finding and checking competence. That includes promotion of sector produced guidance such as ‘A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor’ by the Fire Sector Federation and by providing information and guidance recommending use of third-party accredited professionals. I am pleased that such an amendment to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is included in the Building Safety Bill which is currently before Parliament.

Undercover Policing Investigations (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: The recent Investigatory Powers Tribunal highlighted police failures to put in place systems, safeguards and protections for undercover investigations and that there were gross inadequacies in the training given to undercover officers in relation to sexual relationships. How is the Met now ensuring that guidance and training for undercover officers is much more robust, particularly around sexual relationships?

The Mayor: The MPS have accepted the findings of the Investigative Powers Tribunal and will carefully consider the judgement to ensure any further learning is identified and acted on. However, it should be noted that the learning from this case and others of a similar nature was identified by the HMICFRS Inspection in 2012 and given effect through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Relevant Sources) Order 2013. This field of work is subject to intensive inspections by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner. All aspects of the selection, professional development, support, supervision, leadership and scrutiny of undercover policing are now wholly different to that which existed at the time of these disgraceful episodes.

Undercover Policing Investigations (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Considering the recent ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over the Met’s use of undercover policing against protest movements, will the Met be undertaking a further review of undercover policing practices to ensure they are conducted appropriately and within the law?

The Mayor: The MPS have accepted the findings of the Investigative Powers Tribunal and will carefully consider the judgement to ensure any further learning is identified and acted on. However, it should be noted that the learning from this case and others of a similar nature was identified by the HMICFRS Inspection in 2012 and given effect through the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Covert Human Intelligence Sources: Relevant Sources) Order 2013. This field of work is subject to intensive inspections by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner. All aspects of the selection, professional development, support, supervision, leadership and scrutiny of undercover policing are now wholly different to that which existed at the time of these disgraceful episodes.

The Underreporting of Fire Safety Issues in Private Rentals and Social Housing

Hina Bokhari: What are you and the London Fire Brigade doing to tackle the underreporting of fire safety issues in all forms of private rented accommodation and social housing in London, which was highlighted in recent research by the British Woodworking Federation as part of their Fire Door Safety Week campaign in September 2021?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has a multi-stranded approach to raising awareness of fire safety issues and provides advice and guidance on fire safety and how issues can be reported on its website and social media feeds. Members of the public can report fire safety concerns directly to LFB which are triaged and dealt with based on the level of severity. To further raise awareness, LFB’s new online Home Fire Safety Checker tool also includes fire safety information: www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/the-home/home-fire-safety/home-fire-safety-checker-hfsc
The rollout of fire safety checks and training for fire station personnel to gain a Level 3 Introductory Certificate in Fire Safety is significantly upskilling frontline operational staff, which will ensure that fire safety issues will be more readily identified when officers interact with London’s communities. LFB has also raised concerns about fire safety in the private rented sector through stakeholder engagement, including via London Councils’ Fire Safety group.

The Safety of Fire Doors in London

Hina Bokhari: What steps are you taking to ensure that every fire door set sold in London has the correct documentation and traceability requirements to ensure the quality, safety and traceability of all fire doors through rigorous and independent third-party certification? Will you work with fire door manufactures and door processors who are part of industry schemes, such as the British Woodworking Federation’s Fire Door Alliance, which requires all timber door suppliers to have third party certification?

The Mayor: It is the duty of the Responsible Person to ensure that the fire safety measures they install are fit for purpose, which includes being competently fitted. Having products and services that are third-party certificated and easy mechanisms for checking this can help Responsible Persons to fulfil their duties. London Fire Brigade (LFB) will use enforcement powers if it is found that a supplier has deliberately caused a Responsible Person to fail to comply with the law. Responsible Persons and homeowners should make full use of existing third-party certification schemes and this is likely to be an issue that will be considered by the Building Safety Regulator and the Office of Product Safety and Standards. LFB is working with government and others in relation to the new regimes.

Police staff costs

Susan Hall: What is the average cost of Met police staff by grade?

The Mayor: The average cost of MPS per staff member by grade is set out below. This includes basic pay, all non-specialist allowances, Employer’s pension contribution, Employer’s NI contribution.
Pay Bands
Cost per annum
A
£110,960
B
£83,619
C
£63,086
D
£46,609
E
£41,086
F
£37,017
G
£32,479

Police officer costs

Susan Hall: What is the average cost of Met police officers by rank?

The Mayor: The average cost MPS police officers per rank is set out in the table below. This includes basic pay, all non-specialist allowances, Employer’s pension contribution, Employer’s NI contribution, and Apprenticeship Levy costs and uniform costs.
Rank
Cost per annum
Constable
£60,812
Detective Constable
£62,497
Sergeant
£76,725
Detective Sergeant
£75,924
Inspector
£94,664
Detective Inspector
£93,745
Chief Inspector
£100,906
Detective Chief Inspector
£100,295
Superintendent
£122,028
Detective Superintendent
£121,020
Chief Superintendent
£141,859
Detective Chief Superintendent
£140,487
Commander
£180,371
Deputy Assistant Commissioner
£241,499
Assistant Commissioner
£312,280

Rivergate Centre

Andrew Boff: Please supply the booking schedules, weekly room availability and published hire prices for the Rivergate Centre, Barking Riverside.

The Mayor: Following on from the closure of the Rivergate Centre during the global pandemic the centre management has now changed and a new centre manager is in place. All booking schedules, prices and availability are currently under review and a process of engagement has started with the regular users to develop a new booking platform, calendar and price list which will be published by the end of the year so all residents and user groups will be able to access the centre with clarity and ease going forward

Reduction in Firefighters, Fire Stations and Fire Engines

Hina Bokhari: According to the latest figures revealed by the Fire Brigades Union London has 1,112 fewer fire fighters than 2010, ten fewer fire stations and 57 fewer fire engines. What do you believe the impact of these cuts has been and what more are you doing to increase the numbers of fire fighters in particular?

The Mayor: Protecting the London Fire Brigade’s frontline services has always been a top priority since I became Mayor, following the cuts introduced by the previous Mayor. This includes both responding to emergency incidents and vital preventative work in London’s communities. First appliance average response times are faster today than they were in 2010 and second appliance average response times have increased by only two seconds, meaning that the Brigade’s attendance standards to get the first fire engine to an incident within a London wide average of six minutes and a second fire engine within a London wide average of eight minutes continue to be achieved. LFB’s efforts to prevent incidents from occurring also means that the number of incidents attended has reduced by 21,520 since 2010. I will continue to discuss these issues with the London Fire Commissioner to make sure that the Brigade is equipped to keep London safe.

Systemic Change and Government (3)

Anne Clarke: How will you measure success during this mayoral term? What does London need in order to ensure the systemic change you are asking for following Grenfell?

The Mayor: I want to continue to build on the progress made during my last term to raise the standards of safety for Londoners and the buildings they live in. I will use my powers directly or work collaboratively with government to achieve these standards and where necessary apply pressure to ensure change happens at pace for Londoners.
London needs a safer built environment with Londoners having higher confidence in the buildings they live and work in. To achieve this, ministers must implement a stronger legislative and regulatory system; leaseholders must be protected from bearing the brunt of costs; and developers, building owners and managers must take responsibility and strive for ever higher standards of safety rather than focusing on meeting minimum requirements.
The tragedy at Grenfell Tower must lead to long-lasting systemic and cultural change where public safety is paramount. I will do everything I can to achieve this.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) (1)

Hina Bokhari: Following the publication of the London Strategic SuDS Pilot Study about the importance of repurposing highway and public realm space for SuDS, has the Department for Transport given TfL any assurances that it will be able fund the investments in resilienceneeded to mitigate against severe flood events as highlighted in recent weeks?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) funding discussions with Department for Transport (DfT) is not yet complete. However, TfL officers have met with DfT regarding climate change adaptation and resilience, and what is required on these issues by both TfL and the transport sector as a whole. DfT also attend TfL’s quarterly Transport Adaptation Steering Group, which includes representatives across London’s transport sector, such as Network Rail and National Highways. TfL will also be reporting to DfT on their review into the flooding incidents of 12th and 25th July.
As Lead Local Flood Authorities, boroughs can apply for either Flood Defence Grant in Aid FDGIA or Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee funding for SuDs, which they could deliver in partnership with TfL if they identified an opportunity on our land.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) (3)

Hina Bokhari: How can London Boroughs work in partnership with TfL and the GLA to swiftly delver drainage schemes costing as little as £20 to £50k as highlighted in the recently published London Strategic SuDS Pilot Study at the request of the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC)?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) was an active partner in the London Strategic SuDS Pilot Study, which highlighted the importance of small-scale SuDS in combatting surface water flood risk. Subsequently, the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee awarded £1m in funding for boroughs to deliver SuDS in line with the findings. This money is not available directly to TfL, but TfL would be happy to work in partnership with boroughs on any opportunities identified that are partly on TfL land.
Many boroughs, such as Enfield, have delivered multiple highways SuDS projects at relatively low cost. TfL has supported this kind of initiative through, for example, Liveable Neighbourhoods and Mini Hollands. There is considerable opportunity for boroughs to deliver more small-scale SuDS projects in the future, for example by incorporating SuDS into the conversion of low traffic neighbourhoods from temporary to permanent.

Vehicles converted to LPG and the ULEZ charge (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: I have been informed that TfL will not accept vehicles which have been converted to use LPG as being compliant within the ULEZ as TfL has no way of verifying at any one time which fuel type is being used. However, why would any driver invest significant sums of money in converting to LPG and then revert to using a more expensive fuel? Will you instruct TfL to reconsider its policy which penalises drivers who have made a decision to reduce pollution created by their vehicles?

The Mayor: Vehicles converted for LPG remain subject to the same ULEZ emissions standards, and must comply with those standards (Euro 4 for petrol engines or Euro 6 for diesel engines) or pay the ULEZ charge, in the same way as any other vehicle
It is important to note that while LPG does offer some potential carbon dioxide savings over petrol, the air quality benefits are more limited; NOx in particular is unchanged and can sometimes increase. There are no plans to introduce a change in emissions standards requirements for these vehicles.
There are a number of technical reasons why vehicles cannot run solely on LPG. When converted, the vehicles are fitted with an LPG tank in addition to the main petrol or diesel fuel tank and become dual fuel vehicles. Because they retain their petrol or diesel engine, they also retain the associated emission level applicable to that engine.

Fuel Catalyst

Keith Prince: Will you consider a fuel catalyst to reduce the emissions of your existing diesel fleet that will cut emissions and fuel expenditure, given your commitment to doing all you can to help to reduce CO2 emissions in the city?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) would consider any new technology that could contribute to cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the capital in an affordable and sustainable way. TfL would first expect to see the efficacy of this technology demonstrated in practice, such as on its London route emissions simulation test at Millbrook Proving Ground – so that the assessment was evidence-based and reflected typical operating conditions.

NHS patients being reimbursed for the Ultra Low Emission Zone charge

Caroline Pidgeon: Further to your answer 2021/0424 please state in detail what steps are being taken ahead of 25 October 2021 to publicise the reimbursement arrangements for NHS patients.

The Mayor: Before the launch of the ULEZ expansion Transport for London (TfL) contacted all trusts outside the central ULEZ to highlight the patient reimbursement scheme and provide material to help raise awareness of the ULEZ expansion and reimbursement scheme with staff and patients. Additionally, my Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy wrote to the chief executives of all NHS trusts to encourage them to offer the reimbursement scheme to patients as trusts in the central ULEZ already do. Officers are working with NHS London directly to identify further channels to raise awareness of the scheme with patients and care providers.
The reimbursement scheme was also raised as part of TfL’s ongoing stakeholder engagement programme ahead of expansion, and information about the scheme is available on the TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/reimbursements-of-the-congestion-charge-and-ulez-charge.

Met internal whistleblowing hotline (2)

Unmesh Desai: Please provide a breakdown by volume of the type of offences being reported through the Met’s internal whistleblowing hotline in each of the last 4 years, how many of the reports for each type of offence resulted in an internal investigation being carried out, and how many of these investigations resulted in disciplinary action being taken.

The Mayor: The tables below show the breakdown of calls and online reports to Rightline broken down by HMICFRS category according to the type of information provided by the contact. This data is only available from the last two years.
April 2019 - March 2020
Rightline
Rightline – OnLine
Disclosure of Information
3
Perverting the Course of Justice
Sexual Misconduct
Controlled drugs use & supply
8
Theft & Fraud
5
Misuse of Force Systems
1
Exploitation of the Privilege of office
1
5
Inappropriate associations
Vulnerability
Other Criminal Behaviour
6
Other Corrupt Activity
Total
1
28
April 2020 - March 2021
Rightline
Rightline – OnLine
Disclosure of Information
7
Perverting the Course of Justice
Sexual Misconduct
4
Controlled drugs use & supply
2
5
Theft & Fraud
2
5
Misuse of Force Systems
2
5
Exploitation of the Privilege of office
1
7
Inappropriate associations
Vulnerability
2
Other Criminal Behaviour
2
Other Corrupt Activity
Total
9
35
The data above provides a breakdown of those calls where the information or intelligence could be classified according to the HMIC Counter Corruption categories.
There are a large number of calls where the information or intelligence does not fit into any of these categories, however it is still reviewed and action taken where possible and appropriate.
As explained in the answer to MQ4653 it is not possible to confirm how many reports led to misconduct investigations.